Rest house project still incomplete even after 20 years
THE rest house project at the Natewa Health Centre which started almost 20 years ago remains standing in its incomplete state.
The health centre’s board chairman Lote Saro said the rest house was initially planned for villagers who brought patients to the centre who would then get ad- mitted for a day.
“This is why the rest house was constructed because the villages are far from the health centre and transport does not go all the time so the rest house was planned to cater for villagers,” he said.
“The project started almost 20 years ago and it comes directly under the board’s responsibility and not the hospital which is why we have to raise our own funds to complete it. “We are newly elected board members and we don’t have any records of how this project was carried out before our term started but we will now focus on completing this project.”
Mr Saro said they had organised fundraising activities to fund for the completion of the project.
“It has not been easy but we are positive as a lot of villagers are supporting our initiative and it is our goal to complete the construction of this rest house during our term,” he said.
“We know it won’t be an easy one but we need to do something about it because our villagers have in some cases had to ask nearby villagers for accommodation while their loved ones are being monitored by doctors in the health centre.
“So we are pleading to our families and relatives living around the world who hail from Natewa for their support in helping us and their families in the villages with this project.
“Sometimes the villagers are transferred to Savusavu so while waiting for the ambulance, their family members who accompanied them to the health centre can wait at the rest house instead of waiting outside in the compound.”
The rest house will include a kitchen, bathroom and toilet for villagers to use.